Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( French pronunciation: [ʃamɔni mɔ̃ blɑ̃] ; Arpitan : Chamôni-Mont-Blanc ), more commonly known simply as Chamonix ( Chamôni ), is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France . It was the site of the first Winter Olympics , held in 1924 .
35-700: Chamonix is situated in the French Alps just north of Mont Blanc , the highest mountain in Western Europe. Between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and the notable Aiguille du Midi , it borders both Switzerland and Italy . It is one of the oldest ski resorts in France, popular with alpinists and mountain enthusiasts. Via the cable car lift to the Aiguille du Midi it is possible to access
70-454: A humid continental climate ( Dfb, according to the Köppen climate classification ) , with an average annual precipitation of 1,280 mm (50 in). Summers are mild and winters are cold and snowy . Chamonix is a winter sports resort town that still attracts skiers ready to test themselves both on the pistes in the official area and against the challenges of the backcountry skiing. As
105-475: A year. The commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc includes 16 villages and hamlets. From north to south: Le Tour 1,462 m (4,797 ft), Montroc, Le Planet, Argentière 1,252 m (4,108 ft), Les Chosalets, Le Lavancher, Les Tines, Les Bois, Les-Praz-de-Chamonix 1,060 m (3,478 ft), Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Pècles, Les Mouilles, Les Barrats, Les Pélerins, Les Gaillands, and Les Bossons 1,012 m (3,320 ft). Due to its elevation, Chamonix has
140-487: Is a cog railway that provides access to the tourist site of Montenvers. Opened in 1909, its rail station was built next to SNCF's Chamonix station on the St Gervais-Vallorcine Line. In fact the two stations are directly linked. Montenvers provides further tourist access to middle and high mountain areas. Chamonix has one of the highest cable cars in the world, which links the town to the summit of
175-630: Is a range of other activities that happen such as gliding which most happens during the summer months. Summer activities include hiking, mountaineering, biking and rock climbing. Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( Hebrew : חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם ḥasidei ummot ha'olam ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, including Jews , who were being exterminated by Nazi Germany during
210-457: Is entitled to apply to Yad Vashem for the certificate. If the person is no longer alive, their next of kin is entitled to request that commemorative citizenship be conferred on the Righteous who has died. In total, 28,217 (as of 1 January 2022 ) men and women from 51 countries have been recognized, amounting to more than 10,000 authenticated rescue stories. Yad Vashem's policy
245-515: Is linked to Switzerland by what used to be RN 506a. In 2006, it was converted to a Route Départementale 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN 205. The nearest airport to Chamonix is Geneva Cointrin International and it is 88 kilometres (55 miles) away. Chamonix is served by the metre-gauge St Gervais-Vallorcine Line , operated by SNCF . The line from Saint Gervais (on the standard-gauge rail network) to Chamonix opened in 1901; it
280-767: Is recognized as Righteous for having taken risks to help Jews during the Holocaust is awarded a medal in their name, a certificate of honor, and the privilege of having the name added to those on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem (the last is in lieu of a tree planting, which was discontinued for lack of space). The awards are distributed to the rescuers or their next of kin during ceremonies in Israel, or in their countries of residence through
315-565: Is to pursue the program for as long as petitions for this title are received and are supported by evidence that meets the criteria. Recipients who choose to live in the State of Israel are entitled to a pension equal to the average national wage and free health care, as well as assistance with housing and nursing care. At least 130 Righteous non-Jews have settled in Israel . They were welcomed by Israeli authorities, and were granted citizenship. In
350-804: The Alps mountain range that stand within France , located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as the Mont Blanc massif , are shared with Switzerland and Italy . At 4,808 metres (15,774 ft), Mont Blanc , on the France–Italy border , is the highest mountain in the Alps, and
385-713: The Eastern Orthodox Church . Her feast day is 20 July. In 2015, Lithuania's first street sign honoring a Righteous Among the Nations was unveiled in Vilnius . The street is named Onos Šimaitės gatvė , after Ona Šimaitė , a Vilnius University librarian who helped and rescued Jewish people in the Vilna Ghetto . In Zvolen , Slovakia, the Park of Generous Souls commemorates the Righteous Among
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#1732765319990420-677: The European Curling Championships in 1991 and 1999. The town of Chamonix is served by French Route Nationale 205 ( RN 205 ), nicknamed the Route blanche , or "white route", due to its snowiness. This is an extension of French autoroute 40 ( A40 ), similarly nicknamed the autoroute blanche , which ends at Le Fayet, a village in the commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains . The 11.6-km Mont Blanc Tunnel , which opened in 1965, links Chamonix to Courmayeur in Italy. Chamonix
455-659: The Holocaust . The term originates from the concept of ger toshav , a legal term used to refer to non-Jewish observers of the Seven Laws of Noah . When Yad Vashem , the Shoah Martyrs ' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, was established in 1953 by the Knesset , one of its tasks was to commemorate the "Righteous Among the Nations". The Righteous were defined as non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during
490-430: The highest Western European mountain . Notable towns in the French Alps include Grenoble , Chamonix , Annecy , Chambéry , Évian-les-Bains and Albertville . The largest connected ski areas are: The other large ski areas are: A range of winter and summer activities are available in the French Alps. In the winter, these include skiing and snowboarding as well as alternatives such as snowshoeing, sledging. There
525-401: The Aiguille du Midi at 3842 m. It is based on an older system built in 1920, rebuilt in the first half of the 1950s over five summer seasons, fully modernized in 1979, and upgraded again in 2008. On the other side of the valley, another cable car links Chamonix to the viewpoint of Planpraz. A second line links Planpraz to the summit of Le Brévent at 2525 meters. Many other cable cars exist in
560-465: The Holocaust. Since 1963, a commission headed by a justice of the Supreme Court of Israel has been charged with the duty of awarding the honorary title "Righteous Among the Nations". Guided in its work by certain criteria, the commission meticulously studies all documentation including evidence by survivors and other eyewitnesses, evaluates the historical circumstances and the element of risk to
595-535: The Nations from Slovakia. Beginning in 2018, China's most significant World War II museum, the War of Resistance Museum , features China's Righteous Among the Nations and other Chinese figures who helped Jews escape Europe. As of 10 August 2023 , the award has been made to 28,217 people. Yad Vashem emphasises that the table is not representative of the effort or proportion of Jews saved per country, and notes that these numbers "are not necessarily an indication of
630-511: The Nations, Saint Elizabeth Hesselblad of Sweden, has been canonized a saint in the Catholic Church . Seven others have been beatified : Giuseppe Girotti and Odoardo Focherini of Italy, Klymentiy Sheptytsky of Ukraine, Bernhard Lichtenberg of Germany, Sára Salkaházi of Hungary, and Józef and Wiktoria Ulma of Poland (together with their children). Maria Skobtsova of Paris and her companions are recognised as martyrs in
665-583: The Second World War , a Children's Home operated in Chamonix, in which several dozens of Jewish children were hidden from the Nazis. Some of those who hid them were recognised as " Righteous Among the Nations ". By the 1960s, agriculture had been reduced to a marginal activity, while the number of tourist beds available rose to around 60,000 by the end of the 20th century, with about 5 million visitors
700-534: The fourth-largest commune in metropolitan France , with an area of 245 km (95 sq mi). Its population of around 8,900 ranks 1,089th within the country of France. The valley was first mentioned in 1091, when it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the great Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse , near Turin , which by the early 13th century had established a priory there. However, in 1786
735-503: The highest European mountain west of Russia, Mont Blanc attracts mountain climbers . The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc has been held every August since 2003. There is a cable car up to the 3,842 m (12,605 ft) Aiguille du Midi . Constructed in 1955, it was then the highest cable car in the world and remains the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world. Chamonix is divided into three separate ski areas (Les Grands Montets, Brévent - Flégère, le domaine de Balme) which run along
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#1732765319990770-509: The inhabitants bought their freedom from the canons of Sallanches , to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519. In 1530, the inhabitants obtained from the Count of the Genevois the privilege of holding two fairs a year, while the valley was often visited by the civil officials and by the bishops of Geneva (first recorded visit in 1411, while St. Francis de Sales came there in 1606). But travellers for pleasure were very rare. Chamonix
805-558: The mid-1980s, they became entitled to special pensions. Some of them settled in British Mandatory Palestine before Israel's establishment shortly after World War II , or in the early years of Israel, while others came later. Those who came earlier often spoke fluent Hebrew and have integrated into Israeli society. Children and grandchildren of Righteous Gentiles are entitled to a temporary residence visa in Israel, but not Israeli citizenship. One Righteous Among
840-478: The mountain slopes (which were communally or co-operatively owned), and this association held a monopoly of guiding from the town until it was broken by French government action in 1892; thereafter guides were required to hold a diploma issued by a commission dominated by civil servants and members of the French Alpine Club rather than local residents. From the late 19th century on, tourist development
875-464: The off-piste ( backcountry ) ski run of the Vallée Blanche (White Valley). The name Campum munitum, meaning fortified plain or field, had been used as early as 1091. By 1283 the name had been abbreviated to a similar form to the modern Chamonis. Other forms through the ages include Chamouny in 1581, Chamony in 1652, Chamouni in 1786, and the particular spelling Chamonix from 1793. Chamonix is
910-427: The offices of Israel's diplomatic representatives. These ceremonies are attended by local government representatives and are given wide media coverage. The Yad Vashem Law authorizes Yad Vashem "to confer honorary citizenship upon the Righteous Among the Nations, and if they have died, the commemorative citizenship of the State of Israel, in recognition of their actions". Anyone who has been recognized as "Righteous"
945-605: The rail route continues over the border into Switzerland, meeting the SBB network at Martigny . This latter section, a metre-gauge cog railway , is operated by Transports de Martigny et Régions SA. The train service from Vallorcine to Martigny is known as the Mont Blanc Express . Timetables on the St Gervais-Vallorcine and Vallorcine-Martigny sections are synchronized. The 5.1-km Montenvers Railway
980-480: The rescuer, and then decides if the case meets the criteria. Those criteria are: The award has been given without regard to the social rank of the helper. It has been given to royalty such as Princess Alice of Battenberg , Queen Mother Helen of Romania and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium but also to others like the philosopher Jacques Ellul , Salvadoran diplomat José Castellanos Contreras and to Amsterdam department store employee Hendrika Gerritsen . A person who
1015-471: The services of a friendly society to its members, and in the 20th century many of them were noted mountaineers and popularisers of mountain tourism, notably the novelist Roger Frison-Roche, the first member of the Compagnie not to be born in Chamonix. Serving as the host city for the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 further raised Chamonix's profile as an international tourist destination. During
1050-632: The valley from Le Tour down to Les Houches. In addition to the 1924 Winter Olympic Games, the town hosts a round of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and the Arlberg-Kandahar . It previously hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1937 and the 1984 and 1988 Biathlon World Championships for women. The 1930 Ice Hockey World Championships was mostly held at Chamonix. The town also hosted
1085-465: The valley, and are heavily used by skiers and residents. The Plan Joran chairlift at the base of Les Grands Montets is due to be replaced by a 10-person gondola for the Winter 2014/15 season. Chamonix is twinned with: French Alps The French Alps ( French : Alpes françaises ; Arpitan : Ârpes francêses ; Occitan : Aups francesas ; Ligurian : Arpi françéixi ) are the portions of
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1120-449: Was dominated by national and international initiatives rather than local entrepreneurs, though the local community was increasingly dependent upon and active in the tourist industry. The commune successfully lobbied to change its name from Chamonix to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1916. However, following the loss of its monopoly, the Compagnie reformed as an association of local guides, and retained an important role in local society; it provided
1155-400: Was extended to Vallorcine in 1908. The line holds the record for the steepest gradient on any standard ( adhesion ) railway. There are 10 stations on this line within the commune of Chamonix: Montroc-le-Planet , Argentière , La Joux , Les Tines , Les Praz-de-Chamonix , Chamonix-Mont-Blanc , Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Midi , Les Moussoux , Les Pélerins and Les Bossons . From Vallorcine ,
1190-659: Was part of the historical land of Savoy and emerged as the feudal territory of the House of Savoy during the 11th to 14th centuries. The historical territory is shared between the modern countries of France, Italy and Switzerland. The House of Savoy became the longest surviving royal house in Europe. It ruled the County of Savoy to 1416 and then the Duchy of Savoy from 1416 to 1860. The first party to publish (1744) an account of their visit
1225-570: Was that of Richard Pococke , William Windham and others, such as the Englishmen who visited the Mer de Glace in 1741. In 1742 came P. Martel and several other Genevese, in 1760 Horace Bénédict de Saussure , as well as rather later Marc-Théodore Bourrit . The growth of tourism in the early 19th century led to the formation of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix in 1821, to regulate access to
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